Analysis of the impact of macroeconomic stability on the level of global competitiveness of Western Balkan countries

Competitiveness, as a complex concept, can be observed in different ways, from the perspective of an individual, group, company and/or state. The subject of this paper deals with competitiveness of national economies observed through factor analysis, with a particular focus on the level of macroeconomic stability. Through the application of the Analytical-Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, special attention has been paid to the comparative ranking of Western Balkan countries. The ranking has been made in relation to macroeconomic stability and the positions of countries in the ranking of the World Economic Forum, based on the Global Competitiveness Index, for three defined periods of time. The paper identifies key factors that affect the competitiveness of Western Balkan countries. Research findings show that macroeconomic stability has a strong impact on the level of global competitiveness of national economies.